Samuel w



S. W KI MUSIC DESK.

No. 535,558. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

Vjw @M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL WV. RORK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHIOKERING d:SONS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

MUSIC-DESK.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 535,558, dated March12, 1895.

Application filed December 3,1894- Serial No. 530,663. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. RORK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Desks, ofwhich the followingis a specificatiomreference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a compact, simple andefficient music desk for pianos, and the like.

In the following specification, I will describe a music desk embodyingmy invention and in the claims which are appended hereto, I will pointout the novel features of said invention.

In the following description reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the upper frontportion of an upright piano with my invention applied thereto, thedevice being shown as broken away at one point for greater clearness.Fig. 2 is an end view showing a portion of the front casing of the pianoas also the lower portion of a music desk embodying my invention, thesaid desk being shown in its open position. Fig. 3 is a similar viewshowing the music desk closed, or in the position which it occupies whennot in use.

My improved music desk is not limited in its application to pianos, butmay be applied to organs or other instruments having a casing or frameto which the desk may be attached, or which will serve as a support foran upright to which the desk may be attached. I do not, however, deem itnecessary for the purposes of this specification to show my deviceapplied to more than one form of musical instrument and I haveaccordingly shown and will proceed to describe it as applied to anupright piano.

The upright front portion of the piano frame or casing is shown at A andmay be of any usual form. At the point at which the music desk is to beapplied, the said casing A is paneled or recessed or cut away in orderthat my device when applied, and when closed, or not in use, will shutinto the front of the said casing and appear as a fixed portion thereof.

My device proper consists of a swinging frame 2 which is constructed ofa size and shape with its attached parts to fit the opening or panel orrecess provided for it in the front of the frame A. The frame 2 ispivoted at its upper side or edge in the usual manner. For the purposeof holding the swinging frame in its forward, or open position, and atdifferent angles of inclination, I provide the pivoted links l which areplaced at each end of the said desk, as shown. One end of each pair oflinks is pivoted to the stationary frame A, just behind the recess oropening which is filled by the swinging frame Q, when said frame isclosed,and the otherend of each pair of links is pivoted inside one ofthe end portions of the swinging frame 2, as will be clear from Figs. 1and 2. The pivots of the links at are sufficiently tight to insurefriction in their working, and since the swinging frame and its attachedparts are comparatively light, this friction is sufficient to hold theframe in its outward or open position at any desired angle ofinclination. It is therefore unnecessary to provide any special devicefor supporting the swinging frame when it is open although any of thewell known devices for holding aswinging frame at various angles ofinclination may be employed, if desired. It will be noted that theswinging frame 2 does not entirely fill the panel or space in which itis placed, but that there is a space below the swinging frame which isprovided for the reception of the pivoted bar 5, which, when the desk isopen forms a ledge or support for the lower edge of the sheet musicwhich is placed on the desk.

The device in its open position is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. Theralobet at each end of the bar 5 forms projecting lips 10 and 20, whichwhen the desk is closed conceal the pivots of the links at, and alsoserve as stops for the bar 5. This will be clear from the drawings. AtFig. 2 the lip 20 is shown in contact with the rear edge of theprojecting strip 9 and in this position acts as a stop to prevent thebar 5 from beingturned or rocked farther than is required to bring theledge upon which the lower edge of the sheet music rests into a positionat right angles to the frame 2. In like manner the lip 10 serves whenthe bar 5 is turned to its closed position,

shown at Fig. 3 to properly locate the said bar music desk is obtainedof substantially the 5 with its face 6 in line with the face of theswinging frame 2.

When the desk is closed the bar 5 completely fills the opening in theframe A below the swinging frame 2 so that the appearance and finish ofthe front of the piano are in no way impaired when the desk is not inuse. The said bar 5 is pivoted at 11 to the strips or projections 9 andthese pivots are so located with reference to the ends of said bar nearthe apex of the angle formed by the faces 6 and 7 thereof andsubstantially equidistant from each of said faces, that when the bar 5is partially rotated, in opening the music desk for use, the rearwardportion of said bar will fill the space occupied by the forward portionwhen the desk is closed, and will form a continuation of the front faceof the desk, so that there is no opening or crack through which musicmay fall and so that even when the desk is open and in use,itsappearance is not impaired by a break in its front face.

When the parts are made accurately, they will fit with greater exactnessthan can be indicated in the drawings, and thejoint between the loweredge of the swinging frame and the bar 5 in either position of the barwill be scarcely perceptible.

"When the music desk is closed, the bar 5 is reversely rocked or rotatedcausing it to assume the position with reference to the swinging frame 2which is shown in Fig. 3. If the desk be now closed into its recess inthe frame A of the piano, it will fill said recess and will present theappearance of a fixed part of said frame. It will also be seen that thebar 5 is so mounted and is of such a construction that the full verticalwidth of the desk is preserved when the latter is in use.

In some forms of desk which are now in use, the tip-turning of the ledgeor support for the lower edge of the music narrows the desk Verticallyso that when such a desk is in use, it is considerably less in widththan the space in the piano front which it occupies when closed.

My desk herein described is simple in construction, not liable to getout of order, may be readily opened or closed and set at any requiredangle of inclination. By its use a full vertical width, when open, ofthe space in the piano into which it closes when not in use.

The desk is free from openings in the vicinity of the ledge or supportfor the lower edge of the music, so that the music cannot slip down andpresents whether closed or open, a continuous surface, affording anopportunity for superior finish and which does not impair the appearanceof the instrument. As will be clear the swinging frame 2 may be paneledor otherwise ornamented as desired.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A music desk for pianos, 850.,comprising a swinging frame provided at the lower edge thereof with abar which is L-shapedin cross-section, and is connected at its ends tothe said frame by pivots located near the apex of the angle, one of theinterior sides of said bar constituting a ledge on which music may besupported when the bar is turned forward and the other of said interiorsides and one of the exterior sides alternately forming a continuationof the lower part of the face of the frame in different the positions ofthe bar, substantially as described.

2. A music desk for pianos, the, comprising a swinging frame providedwith projections at the ends of the lower edge thereof and a bar whichis L-shaped in cross section and pivoted to the said projections nearthe apex of the angle, the ends of the said bar being rabbeted to formlips which conceal the said projections and which also contact therewithto limit the turning movement of the bar, one of the interior sides ofsaid bar constituting aledge on which music maybe supported when the baris turned forward and the otherof said interior sides and one of theexterior sides alternately forming a continuation of the lower part ofthe face of the frame in the different positions of the bar,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL IV. RORK.

Witnesses:

WM. A. MAOLEOD, OHAs. F. RANDALL,

